Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
There's just something about Land Rover.
A few years ago, when SUV sales fell through the floor, Land Rover seemed immune. Even during this tight economy, as car sales have plummeted, Land Rover, a luxury SUV maker, reported a 6.6 percent increase in sales for October.
Oh, it's taken its bumps and bruises along the trail -- as has every truck maker in recent history. But every day, another person falls under Land Rover's spell of crossing the Sahara to attend a Hollywood premiere.
The 2010 Range Rover Sport carries that mystique even further. It's rugged, capable and absolute luxury at the same time. It's also vastly improved for the 2010 model year. It can negotiate the wilds of the world, no matter what the driver's personal jungle may be, and with stoic class that few can match.
Perhaps it's a combination of its British lineage and current wealthy clientele that allows Land Rover to bypass so much judgment.
It's easy to forget all of that anti-SUV rhetoric behind the wheel of the Range Rover Sport. Why gripe when you can enjoy the ride?
It may cost $80,000, but somewhere between the superb leather back seats and the 510-supercharged horses under the hood, it feels worth even more. The new engine was developed to provide additional power (29 percent increase) without using more fuel. It also meets ULEV2 emission standards.
Enhanced engine power
The engine, with 461 pound-feet of torque, lets this luxury vehicle take off like a Spitfire -- if not faster. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in under six seconds and has a top speed of 140 mph. The performance increases also come from the sixth generation Eaton twin vortex supercharger, which includes twin intercoolers and improved air intake.
There are proven high tech features on it, such as the enhanced electronic air suspension that adjusts automatically to the road under its wheels. The independent suspension makes every gorge feel like a pothole. There is little the Range Rover Sport cannot overcome.
The Range Rover Sport comes with more response systems than a U.S. Army QRF team in Baghdad. There's the Terrain Response, which adjusts the vehicle's wheel spin, engine, transmission and differentials depending upon the surface it's riding on. Then there's the Dynamic Response System, a standard feature on the supercharged Range Rover Sport that adjusts the computer controlled active anti roll system.
Push a button and the Range Rover Sport will adjust its ground clearance from 6.8 inches to 8.9 inches. It's the difference between getting to base camp and parking an axle on a rock. The active dampening system is all new for the 2010 Range Rover Sport.
But why anyone would want to take it off road is beyond me. The Range Rover Sport is beautiful.
This is the grand touring model and Land Rover has redesigned the interior with an emphasis on the "grand" aspect.
Leather is used throughout the cabin and it feels like a well-read leather book, broken in through appreciation. The deep leather seats are extremely comfortable and will hold a driver and passengers through heavy off-road driving or just along the highway.
Land Rover has added a number of high-tech features, such as a new hard drive navigation system that is faster than the previous version in the Range Rover Sport, though the screen catches glare badly and can sometimes be difficult to see.
A new Surround Camera System uses five cameras on the outside to provide a full view around the vehicle when trying to park in tight spots or back up to a trailer.
Sharp exterior upgrades
Outside, Land Rover has tidied up the exterior, keeping its good looks but straightening out its once ruffled hair.
The dark windows and blacked out green house and new two-bar grille make the Range Rover Sport look more menacing. For the 2010 model, Land Rover added LED headlights, changed out the bumper and fenders to give it a more flowing look.
For those people who love Land Rovers in general and Range Rover Sports in particular, your feelings will only grow stronger with this new model.
For those who don't care for these beautiful vehicles, it's only because you haven't spent enough time with them.
There's just something about them.
